Huge price tag for Apple I

Devices bearing the Apple logo are often accompanied by plenty of hype, but few can have sparked quite the same level of excitement as a lot at Christie’s auction house in London yesterday.

After weeks of coverage and speculation about its true value, an original version of the Apple I has been sold for a staggering £133,250. That works out at 425 times as much as when it first went on sale back in 1976, reports the Associated Press.

Apple I and the home computing revolution

The Apple I holds a distinguished place in the history of home computing. It was the first device to come equipped with a fully assembled motherboard, meaning that buyers could use it straight from the box. Although only 200 devices were made and the line was discontinued in 1977, its legacy lives on in the millions of home computers now used across the world.

The device put up for auction at Christie’s came with its original packaging and a signed sales letter from Apple chief executive officer Steve Jobs. It was bought by Italian businessman Marco Boglione, who planned to return it to full working condition.

His brother Francesco, who was at the auction, said that Marco bought the Apple I “because he loves computers”. He added: “The first time I had heard of the idea of a personal computer, it was from Marco.”

Apple continues to play a major role in the personal computing revolution. Earlier this year, the company launched the iPad to much fanfare across the world. The tablet allows users to surf the web, watch HD videos, listen to music, run apps and read e-books. Weighing in at just 680 grams, it is considerably more portable than the Apple I.